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Once
you have established a wildflower meadow in your garden, it is
vital that you carry out maintenance work every autumn to
allow it to flourish. A meadow left to its own devices will
soon lose its species diversity. Some of the tougher
wildflowers may survive, but in general many of the flowering
species will suffer and even slowly die out if the meadow is
not cut and the hay removed from it on an annual basis. It is
essential that you have this commitment to your meadow before
you begin, or you will be disappointed with the results in the
long term.
Maintenance of your
wildflower meadow in Year 1 Almost as soon as
your meadow seed starts to germinate, a decision must be
made. In order to encourage the flowers to establish it is
generally recommended that the newly growing plants are cut
all through the first spring and summer to a height of between
5 and 10cms, unless you have added cornfield flowers. Cutting
in this way will keep the grasses under control, while the
wildflowers get established. This is very hard to do – the
temptation to see the beginnings of your new habitat are very
strong! If you decide you cannot cut in the first spring and
summer, or you have added cornfield annuals that must be
allowed to grow up and flower, do not worry unduly. The
meadow will survive, but a few species may take a little
longer to get going. I have never been able to bring myself
to cut a meadow in its first year – it is far too exciting to
watch it develop.
Traditionally wildflower
meadows in the countryside are cut as early as June. In
our garden though cutting as early as this would mean that we,
and our garden wildlife did not benefit from the meadow
flowers through the summer, so wildflower meadows in gardens
are generally left until September or October. Cutting
the area in these months, once most of the wildflowers have
finished flowering, is crucial, however small the area, and in
general a lawn mower is not suitable for this job. Mowers
chop the grass too much, producing a mulch of grass fragments
on the soil surface, which we want to avoid. Cutting with an
old fashioned hand scythe, as seen above, is very efficient,
but it is hard work and takes a degree of skill. A strimmer
can be used, but is not ideal. For larger areas a motorised
scythe (or Allen scythe) is a good option and these can be
rented from tool hire firms. However you decide to cut, choose
a warm dry day if possible, as the whole process is easier if
the grass is not soaking wet. Take your time and look out for
small mammals and amphibians as you go. Small areas can be
cut very efficiently with hand shears, but for really large
meadows, it may be necessary to contact a local farmer and
have the area professionally cut and baled.
Cut to a height of between
5 to 10 cms and leave the hay for a few days to dry. During
this time the seeds will fall to the ground, ready to
replenish the flowers and grasses, allowing then to spread.
Your next job is to rake all the cuttings off. Each year as
you rake off the hay the fertility of the soil is reduced,
which benefits the wildflowers. Most importantly, raking
opens up the turf a little, exposing small areas of bare soil,
where the wildflower seeds that have fallen can germinate.
The raking should be vigorous – don’t be surprised if the area
looks patchy as a result – this is what you want. For larger
areas the alternative here is to use a chain harrow or even
borrow a sheep or two to crop the grass.
You may want to cut the
area a few more times in the autumn – the mower will suffice
here as long as you set the blade on the highest cut and use
the grass box to remove the clippings as you go along.
Subsequent years – a
summer flowering meadow….
The
strategy above, used in subsequent years will keep your meadow
established and encourage the wildflowers to spread. If your
meadow has mainly summer flowers (no cowslips for instance)
you can also now cut a couple of times in March and April if
you wish, again with the mower blade on a high cut, and the
clippings removed.
….and a spring flowering
meadow
Even if your meadow
contains cowslips, spring bulbs, bugle, ladies smock or any
other spring flowering plants, the maintenance is exactly the
same – only the timing is different. All the activities occur
earlier in the year, so there is no cutting in spring, the
main cut and rake is in July, and subsequent cuts must be high
and the clippings removed.
If you have a meadow with
spring and summer flowers (a combination meadow), follow the
guidelines for the summer meadow, and avoid all cutting until
August/September. |
